Category: Fit Mama

What Can You Accomplish In 30 Minutes?

5/2/2021

What Can You Accomplish In 30 Minutes?

You can read a few chapters in a book, shower, fold the laundry, watch an episode of your favorite show, take a cat nap, or even cook a meal. Most people don’t think they can squeeze in an effective workout in a half hour, but the truth is… you can!

All you need is 30 minutes to get a quality workout that will leave you feeling amazing the rest of the day. In just 30 minutes you can move that much closer to your goals. In just 30 minutes you can feel stronger, taller, and more energized. It just takes commitment and consistency 30 minutes per day to change your life!

It's Your Time. Make The Most Out Of It.
Here Are Four Tips To Maximizing Your Time.

Remove Distracrations. The key to making the most of your half hour is to treat it as the valuable time that it is! Put away your phone (unless you are bumping some motivation music of course) but no IG, no texting, no distractions during this time. Give yourself this time to focus on yourself, your health, your workout.

Plan Ahead. This is Another great trick! This will help you keep your workouts quick and efficient so that you don’t waste any time figuring out what you are going to do. If your brain already knows, you're more prepared and ready to go when the time comes! To optimize your time try finding a program or routine that you enjoy.

Organized Training. Circuit training is great for strength training or revving up your heart rate with a HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) workout. A circuit is when you choose three or more exercises that work different muscle groups and repeat them. While you work one set of muscles in your circuit, you are resting the others. This allows you to get into the flow and not have to think about what comes next and you maximize your time spent. You can split the exercises by region, ie: upper body and lower body, or you can split them by movement, ie: push and pull.

Track Your Training. By focusing on large muscle groups your body will build lean mass which helps you tone and continue to build your strength! Keep track of your progress and what weights you use. If you're new to using hand weights, start small and then work your way up over time gradually. You don’t need to go heavy to get a good workout in!

Try out this favorite circuit of mine that works your whole body (with or without weights!)
10 Pushups (upper body)
20 Squats (lower body)
20 Renegade Row (upper body)
20 Glute Bridge (Lower Body)
Repeat 3 times!

With only 30 minutes of training, it’s important to keep yourself moving throughout the day for the best results. But the good news is, when you do make time for a workout, you have more energy to be more active throughout your day! Park further away in parking lots, choose to take the stairs, take a 10 minute walk, or stretch while you watch some TV. Finally, and maybe most importantly, hydrate and fuel! Drinking enough water, feeding your body the nutrients it needs, and getting ample sleep, will enable you to give your workouts 100%.

Need some inspiration to get into the habit of 30 minutes a day for yourself?! Try Body in Motion, my virtual personal training program that is packed with 30 minute workouts to help you keep it fun and meet your health and fitness goals! Get your first week free when you sign up here for my four week tone-up challenge that plans your workouts for you each day for a month!

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Why Women Should Strength Train

3/9/2021

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Resistance Training Vs. Cardio

Resistance training is so important for women to add to their workout regimen. Cardio is so popular and the easy thing that seems to get done without a thought. If a day is going to be skipped, for a lot of women, it ends up being a resistance day. Some of the reasoning behind this is that they want to burn more calories because they had a busy day of doing nothing and cardio just makes sense and another reason may be because they aren’t comfortable with resistance training - the idea that it is known as a masculine activity sets them back. Do either of these reasoning ring a bell for you?

6 reasons why resistance/strength training is important for women and why it should be a priority to have in your routine.

Helps you lose fat
Resistance/Strength training is so important for fat loss. When you put physical stress on your muscles during a training session, you break them down, causing them to repair and build during the day(s) you are resting. This process requires energy, which means your body is going to break down carbohydrates and fats from foods you eat and from nutrients stored in your body. This allows your body to burn calories more efficiently and effectively at rest.

Tone up.
What is toning up? It’s building lean mass in your body - muscle. In order to get the lean and sexy muscle definition you need to focus on strength training. When it comes to this type of training, progressive overload is going to help you reach your goal. This means increasing your intensity/volume lifted overtime. It will help you grow and build strength and muscle safely and effectively.

Stress Reliever
A study (Ludin, A.F.M. et al 2015) with 30 participants showed that after 10 weeks of high intensity progressive resistance training there were positive changes in DHEA, which is a hormone that can help relieve stress and improve your mood. So not only does aerobic/cardio help with stress relief, but resistance/strength training can also aid in it.

Injury prevention
Resistance training can help you prevent injury in your daily activities. It helps you create a balance in your muscles, and strengthens the muscles, tendons, ligaments, and bones. When your muscles and tendons are strong, they can help support the body during movement. With ligaments and bones getting stronger, they’ll be able to better withstand the impact that your body takes on.

Improves bone density
Osteoporosis is when your bone density decreases and causes your bones to become weak and fragile. When it comes to exercise, it is recommended that weight bearing exercises (strength training) are best for bone health. This type of physical activity helps activate bone remodeling.

Post menopausal women are at a higher risk of developing osteoporosis than men due to the changes in hormones. So it is important to begin resistance training to help your body build its strength, improve bone density, improve coordination, and to help prevent falls from occurring in your older age.

A study by Wallace and Ballard showed a correlation between lean body mass (muscle) and bone health. Individuals who had more lean mass, were regularly physically active and showed greater bone health.

Confidence
There is something about building strength that causes you to walk a bit taller. It could be that with the right strength program you improved your posture, or maybe it’s because you feel good about knowing what you are doing in the gym (in a world that is known to be more masculine), you feel happier and have more energy to power through your day, you can move better because everyday tasks are easier, and on top of that, and you begin to appreciate your body as you learn how to better care for it.

MAT LUDIN, ARIMI FITR, et al. “The Effects of High Intensity Progressive Resistance Training on Psychological Stress and Biochemicals Parameters.” Jurnal Sains Kesihatan Malaysia, vol. 13, no. 2, 2015, pp. 53–60., doi:10.17576/jskm-2015-1302-06.

Wallace LS, Ballard, JE. Lifetime physical activity and calcium intake related to bone density in women. J Wom Health 11(4): 389-398-2002

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ME Time. 4 Tips on how to create this time for busy mamas.

2/4/2021

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My ME time is uninterrupted time for myself, my mind, and my health

Before being a mama, keeping a work-life balance came easy to me. I stayed productive with work, household needs, made time for friends and family, along with time for myself - with ease.

After having Baby Boy, things got tougher. I am even more busy juggling my work-life balance. Having a tiny human attached to the hip is a beautiful thing, but also makes it challenging to do something for only myself. My thoughts are consumed with things to better his life, to make him happy, to make sure he is feeling the love always 💕So my needs don’t cross my mind during the day, or if they do, it is quickly forgotten with this mushy mom brain I have acquired 🤦🏽‍♀️😆.

During his waking hours, all my attention is on Baby Web. Trying to find the time to do anything else is tough - I will continue to try, but it is tough 😆 When he naps and is down for the night, I can focus on work or household chores -whatever the priority is.

I love the time I spend with Baby Boy, but let’s be real, we all need some time to ourselves, even if it’s for a moment - to meditate/to breathe/to just step away and do something we love. With being a mom I’m finding that the window of opportunity for uninterrupted time is limited and small. (At least for right now. I hear it gets better 🤞🏽😊)

For me, the time that I have, uninterrupted, is in the morning before my hubs has to begin work. So, the amount of time I have depends on when I wake up. And with my tiny human alarm clock, I’m guaranteed an early rise to start my day with some me time. 😂

I sometimes spend it with a workout/run and a shower. Other days I may use it to catch up on some sleep and a shower. I use the time for the things that make me happy and help me function better through the day. Comment below and tell me what you enjoy doing during your alone time.

Whatever time is open in the day for you - make sure you take it. Even if it’s just for a short moment. Take that time to do something for yourself, take the time to focus on your health (mental & physical), take that time to do what you need to do so you can be better, so you can feel better. LOVE AND TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF. ♥️

How can we make sure we get this time for ourselves? Here are 4 tips to having your ME time.

Talk to your spouse/partner/whoever is in your household, to help you out during this time. Whether it’s to feed your baby milk/food, to entertain your baby, to do some of the household chores so it doesn’t take time away from your only window. Figure out what works for you and your family, and get the assistance that you need.
Make a plan. Speak to your spouse/partner on what times will work best for you so that you are both on the same page. This way, it becomes a part of your everyday routine to make time for yourself.
Enjoy this time for you. Don’t be afraid to put your phone on silent or turn it off. Continue the enjoyment of being completely uninterrupted. Focus on you and focus on what you’re doing by not feeling obligated to answer a phone call or text right away during this time.
Be productive with your active ME tasks. This is your time, so depending on what you are doing for yourself will depend on whether or not it needs to be productive. If your time is spent catching up on sleep, taking a bath, or just plain old rest - then obviously you don’t need to plan for productivity. But, if your time is going to be spent in the gym - plan your workout ahead of time. This will allow you to make the most out of your time, and focus on what you need. If your time is spent in the kitchen, once again, plan your meals so you know what you need to do for food prep. If your time is spent shopping, plan out what you need to get, and which stores you'll go to.

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Healthy & Active

What Can You Accomplish In 30 Minutes?

What Can You Accomplish In 30 Minutes?

It's Your Time. Make The Most Out Of It.
Here Are Four Tips To Maximizing Your Time.

Why Women Should Strength Train

Resistance Training Vs. Cardio

6 reasons why resistance/strength training is important for women and why it should be a priority to have in your routine.

ME Time. 4 Tips on how to create this time for busy mamas.

My ME time is uninterrupted time for myself, my mind, and my health

How can we make sure we get this time for ourselves? Here are 4 tips to having your ME time.

Author

Categories

Healthy & Active

What Can You Accomplish In 30 Minutes?

What Can You Accomplish In 30 Minutes?

It's Your Time. Make The Most Out Of It.Here Are Four Tips To Maximizing Your Time.

Why Women Should Strength Train

Resistance Training Vs. Cardio

6 reasons why resistance/strength training is important for women and why it should be a priority to have in your routine.

ME Time. 4 Tips on how to create this time for busy mamas.

My ME time is uninterrupted time for myself, my mind, and my health

How can we make sure we get this time for ourselves? Here are 4 tips to having your ME time.

Author

Categories

It's Your Time. Make The Most Out Of It.
Here Are Four Tips To Maximizing Your Time.